


catching on, catching up

by peanutbrain



Category: Ghost (Sweden Band)
Genre: Love Confessions, M/M, Short & Sweet, Unresolved Romantic Tension, rated T because Dewdrop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 10:41:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28634157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peanutbrain/pseuds/peanutbrain
Summary: A conversation with Aether helps Swiss realise something important. Turns out, he's not the only oblivious one.
Relationships: Multi Ghoul | Swiss Army Ghoul/Rain | Water Ghoul
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22





	catching on, catching up

**Author's Note:**

> this is a little follow-up to my other fic [slip of the tongue](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28530879) which was requested by my special someone, it probably won't make much sense if you don't read that first
> 
> anyways
> 
> this is for Berry, and also for Karo who served as an inspiration ✨

The queue moved at a snail’s pace, slowly approaching the counter of a typical rest stop McDonald’s. It was fairly short and the restaurant was almost empty, save for a half-asleep trucker and a couple of teenagers. 

And of course, a bunch of foreign weirdos occupying two tables in the corner.

“Amen, down with Dew?” Aether repeated what Swiss had just told him, looking at the other ghoul with an incredulous expression. “Seriously?”

Swiss shrugged, but he was grinning. “Yeah, I was surprised, too,” he said.

Aether frowned and narrowed his eyes, studying him carefully for a moment longer before he returned his attention to the menu above the counter. At the very front of the queue, Papa Nihil was loudly begging a sleep-deprived Sister Imperator for one more McMuffin.

“I dunno, doesn't sound like a real sentence,” Aether said, giving Swiss a side-eye. “Maybe he just lied to let you win?”

Swiss laughed, feeling slightly offended by the idea, but considered it for a moment. It certainly seemed like something Rain would do, but that game wasn't even about winning. 

“Why would he? It's not like we were being competitive,” he mused, glancing at the bassist over his shoulder.

He was comfortably ensconced between Mountain and Cirrus, sleepily digging through his oatmeal, nodding along to whatever the ghoulette was telling him. With the mask off and wearing a fluffy hoodie, he looked absolutely, ridiculously cute.

“I mean, it's  _ Rain,” _ Aether's voice snapped Swiss out of his staring. When he looked up, his friend gave him a knowing smirk. “He's always trying to please you.”

Swiss felt himself blush at the suggestion and instinctively turned his face away to hide it. He knew Aether was onto something, of course—Rain always went along with Swiss’ ideas and often took his side in arguments. But it didn’t have to mean anything, did it? They were friends, after all. And Rain was just polite like that.

“Who’s trying to please whom and is a blowjob involved?”

Swiss jumped a bit when Dewdrop materialised between them as if out of nowhere, a mischievous grin on his face. His questioning gaze travelled from Swiss to Aether, who looked like he was holding back a fond smile.

“We’re talking about Rain,” he explained. “I was just telling Swiss how very determined he is to make him happy.”

“He’s not,” Swiss argued, exasperated. “He’s just— _ like that.” _

“Like what?” Dewdrop asked with a smirk.

“Nice. You could learn from him, y’know?”

That earned Swiss an elbow to the ribs, which he answered with a shove; they spent the rest of the wait tickling and shoving each other like a bunch of kids, the topic of Rain seemingly forgotten. It remained at the back of Swiss’ mind, however, slowly taking over his thoughts.

Because the more he thought about it, the more he agreed with Aether:  _ amen, down with Dew _ didn’t make much sense. And what about Rain’s hasty, panicked exit? At first Swiss thought that maybe the water ghoul had just felt unwell, but now he realised that Rain hadn’t been ill—he’d been flustered.

But why?

His original sentence was the obvious answer. But what about it would make Rain so nervous? Was it something embarrassing? A bad joke, perhaps? It made sense, but the realisation just made Swiss even more curious. He scoured his brain for similar-sounding sentences; tried to remember exactly what he heard and how Rain’s mouth moved when he spoke. 

_ Ate them and then Dew? _ No, that didn’t sound right.  _ Eight men now with you? _ Possible, but still weird.  _ Aiming now if you? _ That wasn’t even a sentence, and the more Swiss focused on the memory, the more he became sure he was that he’d seen Rain’s lips form an  _ L _ somewhere in there. A word starting with  _ L, _ then?

_ Oh. _

When it finally hit him, he froze with one foot on the tour bus stairs, eyes open wide and mouth agape. It couldn’t be—but it made sense. It must’ve been that. Satan, how he wanted it to be that. The spark of hope he felt at the thought almost made him feel high.

_ I’m in love with you. _

“Swiss? Are you okay?” Rain asked, looking back at him from inside the bus, worry apparent in his beautiful, bright eyes.

“I love you too,” Swiss blurted out.

For a moment they just stood there, eyes locked like in some awkward staring contest. Swiss could feel his heart beat wildly in his chest, the echo of it pulsating in his ears. He saw Rain’s cheeks flush a delightful pink as he blinked in surprise. Then he frowned, tilting his head slightly to the side.

“But you said you hate Bono,” he said slowly.

Now it was Swiss’ turn to be confused. What did Bono have to do with anything? Then it clicked in his brain: Rain had misunderstood him. Unable to stop himself, he let out a nervous giggle.

“No, Rain, I meant—,” he started to say.

“Hey, quit blocking the door!” Dewdrop suddenly yelled behind him. “It’s fucking cold out here.”

Rain blinked a few more times and turned away, walking towards his favourite spot at the back of the bus. Resigned, Swiss let out a deep sigh and followed him.

He wanted to tell him again; explain what he meant and finally confess the feelings that had been blossoming in his chest for months. But the moment was gone and rest had caught up to them, filling the bus with laughter and snippets of conversations as they scattered to take their seats. Now wasn’t the right moment, Swiss thought, slumping onto the couch beside the water ghoul.

_ Next time, _ Swiss decided. Next time they’re alone, he’ll tell him.

Next time, he’ll  _ really  _ tell him.


End file.
